5000 Years
by Cam Flynn
Summary: "This war started with me, and I plan to be the one to stop it." "Even at the cost of your soul?" AUish
1. Prologue

_**5000 Years**_

**Prologue**

The precession seemed to go on for an eternity, from the gates of the new city all the way to the horizon. A young girl wrapped up in a dark brown cloak laid on a dune of sand, watching the animals and people trudge in. The city had been finished mere weeks earlier, a project that had been started by the previous Pharaoh and was now carried on by his elder son, Aknankanon, and his chief wife, the Queen of all Egypt.

A chariot passed around the dunes, catching the sun on its glittering sides. In front were the most heavenly animals known to man: horses, bred for generations for the royal family. Strong, breathtaking, and plowing along as they guided the new Pharaoh to his brand new palace. Behind him, four slaves carried a covered chair, and through the silhouette was the form of a lady, head held high and proud.

Still yet behind her was a larger, covered platform, this one carried by eight slaves. As the evening sun met the horizon, a boy tumbled from the side. He sprawled across the sand, dusk glancing off of his golden jewelry and betraying his royal status.

Everyone stood, frozen in a moment of shock, then bowed so that their foreheads were pressed against the sand before running to his aide. Once he was properly brushed off, they drew the silk curtain back and offered their lowly hands to lift him back up to his chair. Instead of taking their offering, he ran ahead, holding his little arms up to the lady in the first chair. She took him up in her arms, pulled him close and stroked his wild hair while the boys behind laughed at their joke.

The young girl felt chills running up her spine at the actions of two princes of this so-called great nation of Egypt. The thought that one of those two could someday sit upon the throne terrified her, and yet…The little one in the Queen's arms was different. After he had fallen, she could have almost been sure that his eyes had locked onto hers, while the rest of the world was oblivious to her existence. He hadn't thought a tiny brown speck on a dune was too miniscule to give his attention too.

In seconds the blinding barrage of gold-encrusted carriages was inside of the city walls, with heavy wooden doors sliding shut behind them. Her curiosity satisfied, the young girl turned over and slid carefully down the dune, much like a snake would slither silently across the sand. Her black hair wiped about in her face as the hood of her cloak fell. Her eyes were a grey that would have been icy or cold if they had been anyone else's. But set in her face, they were like the calm after a rainstorm, almost promising the sunshine that would inevitably show through the clouds.

She ran across the sands, her royal sandals keeping her feet from burning on the heat. She ducked around the familiar path, scampering between two peculiar rocks. Anyone else would have marveled at the wonders of the world they lived on, but she and her people knew it was the doorway to their hidden city. Their world…Living in the great land of Egypt beside the reigning race of people. If they ever dared show their faces they would be slaughtered, but their faces weren't as human as hers was. She, their princess, was determined to end the Great War and make peace with that prince. The prince who would one day be Pharaoh.


	2. The Start of the Rest of Our Lives

I hope you liked the little opening, and I hope you like the rest of the story. :D I want to say one thing before we get started though: I said this story is AUish because I took a few liberties, and not just using "Anzu" rather than "Tea." I don't know if they'll qualify as 'alternate universe' but I figured I'd say that just to be safe. Generally I was trying my hardest to fit into the original storyline (completely disregarding GX and that other one...5Ds is it?), so stay tuned and feel free to point out anything that doesn't fit into the original story.

* * *

_**5000 Years**_

**Chapter 1 –The Start of the Rest of Our Lives**

"Yugi! Yugi guess what!" Anzu shouted as she bounded along the sidewalk, almost running into the trio of boys as she chased them to school.

"Uhm…" Yugi started.

"Today's the first day of college?" Joey interrupted, his tone betraying his excitement. A few years ago, he never thought he'd stick it out to see the end of the freshman year of high school, and here he was. A college student...

"No, stupid," Anzu growled. "This is far cooler."

"Joey actually graduated from high school?" Tristan laughed.

"No, though that _is_ a miracle." She skipped in front of her friends, turning around and placing one foot behind the other to keep in front of them. "Aubrey Kappel is going to be holding auditions for her new dance team, right here in Domino!"

"Aubrey-whosel?" Joey echoed.

"Aubrey. Kapp-el."

"Are we supposed to know who that is?" Tristan whispered to Yugi, only to get a playful elbow in the stomach.

"Are you going to audition?" their short friend asked.

"I'm sure going to try," she replied.

"That's wonderful news!"

"Yeah, really wonderful!" Joey cheered. "Now, who is she?" In seconds he went from confusion to cowering behind Yugi.

"Who?" Anzu yelled. "Who? Only the most famous dancer of our generation!" With that, she spun on her heels and marched off to school.

"You should have waited until lunch," Yugi whispered. "She wouldn't have been as emotional then."

"Since when are you a woman-expert?" Joey hissed back at his best friend.

"I will never be a woman-expert, but by now we should all be Anzu-experts."

"He's got you there," Tristan chided, making his moves to follow her.

"Who're you to talk?" Joey snapped, launching at his friend and putting him into a headlock.

"Guys!" Yugi couldn't help but laugh. "We're going to be late for our last first day!" On cue, Yugi's watch alarm went off, reminding the boy that his class was starting in five minutes.

…X…X…

Anzu had waited at the top of the stairs for Yugi to catch up. They had their very first class together after all. "First class on the first day…" Anzu whispered.

"Yup."

The four of them had all decided to attend the local college, so Anzu and Yugi at least were staying in the same homes they'd always been in. Joey and Tristan, however, had chosen to move into a dorm. Tristan had made the choice for Joey's sake, really, because Joey had jumped at the chance of moving out of his father's apartment.

"Uhm…excuse me?" a small voice called to them. The girl that was speaking to them wasn't much taller than Yugi, though she couldn't have been more different. Her skin was well tanned, her soft black hair twisted up on her head, and her eyes were as grey as grey could be. Then there was her outfit. She had on old-fashioned tennis shoes, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a lovely maroon skirt to match the scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face.

"Hello," Anzu replied kindly.

"I am sorry, I am new to this country. Could you…help me?"

"Of course! What do you need?" The girl pointed to her classroom number, and a smile crossed Anzu's face.

"That's where we're going. Why don't you come with us?" The girl nodded, and Anzu led the way.

"Hi, I'm Yugi Mouto," the spiky haired boy offered. "This is Anzu."

"Hadiya Almasi…Please call me Hadi." Inside the classroom, Anzu picked a seat so that she could sit between both her old friend and her new one.

Then their new teacher walked in, opening the class with a quick lecture on how different college would be and how he would hold them to the same standards he'd held all his previous students. Then, of course, they dove right into their lessons and were given their first homework assignment of the semester. In-depth Ancient History was an honors class, so they really had expected this.

Anzu and Yugi had both managed to mangle their ways into the class, but of course Tristan and Joey weren't even considered. It was the only honors class Yugi had been interested in, though he knew he should have looked at the others in more depth. He hadn't figured out what his major would be, only that he wanted a degree in something.

"Wow!" he heard Anzu declared as they left the class. "You're in all honors…"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Hadi sounded petrified at the thought of being too out of the ordinary. Yugi couldn't blame her. The really weird ones had harder times making friends. Yugi always tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that the bulk of the world was an opinion-first-meet-later kind of place.

"No, not at all…It's amazing. I wanted to try for an all-honors semester, but it didn't work out. It's certainly harder than basic, but if you ask me, it sounds like a lot more fun. I'd rather be allowed to think than have the teachers talk down to me like I'm some sort of idiot…"

"Anzu, I do not think that you could ever be an idiot." The girls giggled, flowing down the hall as they figured out the campus map together.

…X…X…

Come lunch, it seemed that Hadi had joined the group, a new best friend for the adventures that were to come. By the time their classes let out for the afternoon, they were all running for their homes to gather up their things for a fun afternoon at the pool.

"Oh Yu-gi!" the spiky-haired game-king heard echo up the stairs after him. He slid to a stop in the hall outside his room.

"Yes grandpa?" he called back down.

"A package arrived for you from the Ishtars! I haven't opened it yet but…" Yugi almost laughed at his grandfather's curiosity. He was actually amazed that the package hadn't been opened, as anxious as the old man usually was with most things Egypt. The boy ducked into his room and quickly grabbed his pool bag, already full of everything he'd need, then skipped down the stairs and snatched up the box.

"Gee, it looks important…"

"Anything you get tends to be important." This time a snicker did escape.

"Do you mind if I open it later? I want to be ready in case any video tapes try stealing people's souls or…"

"You want to get to the pool." Yugi hung his head sheepishly. It wasn't that he wasn't curious. He was. But...Anzu was at the pool and she was waiting for him. "Go on, just make sure to be home before dinner."

"I will, I promise!" He nearly flew out of the shop, wondering at his priorities. He always felt a strong duty to Atem and anything Egypt, but Atem was gone now. He lived on inside of everyone, and he would eternally be their friend, but they had to move away from Egypt. They had to have lives that they had to live. And he was really enjoying the life he was living.

"Yug! You're _late_!" Joey teased, pulling his short friend into a noogie.

"Hey! Joey…" He felt his friend release him, then heard profuse apologizing and excuses. His amethyst eyes lifted to see Anzu scolding the blond. She certainly loved looking out for the smallest of their group. Well, not _exactly_ the smallest anymore. In the last year Yugi had grown a good three inches, now standing taller than his grandfather, or possibly as tall as his grandfather had stood in his own youth.

"Why's everyone standing around out here?" Yugi intervened. "The pool isn't closed, is it?"

"We were waiting for you!" Joey broke out some scolding of his own.

"Hey, you know the game shop is pretty far from here."

"He's got you there!" Tristan joked.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Anzu broke back in. "C'mon Hadi!" She grabbed her new friend and dragged the girl to the ladies' locker rooms.

Nothing could be better than a blissful afternoon of getting half-drowned by one's friends. Well, they swam around too, but Joey and Tristan found great pleasure in splashing and dunking. Hadi hung back from the revelries, splashing her feet at the edge of the water. She wore a black, print-less one-piece, and still yet had a mask covering the lower half of her face, her grey eyes taking everything in with an almost unnerving calculated glance.

"I'm gonna get us something to drink," Anzu laughed as she leapt out of the pool. There were nearby soda machines, but no drinks or snacks were allowed past a certain line around the pool.

"Thanks!" Yugi chimed after her, the only one paying attention enough too. He pulled himself out, sitting beside Hadi while he watched Tristen get the better of Joey. "They're going to get hurt…"

"Then why do they do it?" Hadi whispered. No…that was her voice. She was a quiet girl.

"Huh? Oh, they're just the rough types. Of course the way they act you'd never tell…"

"That they're both nineteen already?" a more grown up voice echoed from behind them. Yugi almost fell back into the pool at it. "They're a couple of idiots if you ask me."

"Mai! What're you doing here?"

"I was in town and I thought I'd cool down. I was hoping there might be some men here, but..." She scowled at Tristan and Joey. This particular pool was a rather special one, only admitting people that were at least sixteen years old, but Mai still had yet to see a real worthwhile man there.

"What're you doing in town?"

"Didn't you know? There's a tournament going on in the area. I figured you'd be in it."

"Ehh…I guess I've just been a little more focused on other things lately. It's our senior year after all."

"That's right. You kids are about to enter the big, bad world." The lady sat down on the other side of Hadi. "Who's your new friend?"

"Oh, right. This is Hadiya Almasi. She's part of the school's study abroad program."

"Hi kid. Name's Mai Valentine." Hadi took the hand that was offered to her. "You're pretty quiet. Not like the rest of these yahoos. It's a nice change." A playful smile played across her lips as Anzu hurried back over.

"Mai!" the girl cheered. "Long time no see!"

"Hey." All four dashed away from the pools edge as Joey and Tristan made splashdown about four feet away.

"Mai!" they chorused, clamoring out of the pool, shaking the water off almost like dogs.

"And you two never change." Her smile turned to the blond. "Hey Joey. Been keeping out of trouble? How's that sister of yours?"

"She's doing great. She's gonna be back in town this weekend if you wanna see her again."

"That sounds great, but I have bigger fish to fry. I'll try to swing by if I can though."

"Mai's in a tournament in the area," Yugi announced.

"A tournament, and they didn't invite me?" Joey huffed.

"Or Yugi?" Tristan added.

"I was invited, but I turned them down," Yugi laughed.

"Nothin' for nothin' Yug, but you haven't played a single duel monsters game in a long time," Joey questioned lightly.

"I've been more focused on my education."

"Yeah, something you two should really pay more attention too," Anzu chided.

"As fun as this is…I came here to swim," Mai yawned.

"Well why didn't you say so? You've been missing out on all the fun!" Joey jested.

"It looked more like drowning rats," Hadi said, pulling all attention to herself. She shied away, hiding behind the soda that Anzu had brought for her.

"She has a sensa humor," Joey blinked. Smiles broke out on everyone's faces, laughter erupting once Hadi returned her drink to the table.

"Anyway, tell us more about this new tournament, Mai," Anzu pried, attempting to change the subject from swimming. She actually wanted to finish her drink before being drowned again.

"Well, I know for a fact that Mako entered it, but other than that none of our other old 'friends' are anywhere near this region. Of course a tournament this small was beneath Kaiba, but it seems he and Pegasus were both invited to watch the final match and award the prizes and what not."

"Why wasn't Yug given that honor?" Joey interrupted. "He's the _king_."

"But he doesn't have any corporate pull. It's all about show to these guys. This tournament isn't worth much at all, really, after what we've been through in the past. I don't think there will ever be a tournament to rival Battle City."

"You'd win that bet."

"What about the other competition?" Yugi asked. "Any new rising stars?"

"Don't tell me you're worried!" Mai joked. "No one's gonna be taking that crown from you any time soon, except maybe me next time we get to go at it." With a wink, the subject ended. Mai's phone alarm went off, reminding her that her 'downtime' was limited. "I gotta go. Don't wanna be late for the grand opening." With that, she was gone.

"I, too, have places that I need to be." Hadi was on her feet, quietly fidgeting, as though she was afraid to bid them farewell.

"So soon?" Anzu sighed.

"You aren't in that tournament, are ya?" Joey hissed, obviously still a little hot under the collar at not getting an invitation.

"Oh, no, I am not. But I still have to go." A quick bow and she, too, disappeared into the female locker room. As she retreated, Yugi realized that she was only an inch or so taller than him, not counting the hair. Of course, it wasn't as unusual for girls to be on the shorter side as it was for boys.

"I can't believe I didn't get invited…" returned his attention to the 'matter' at hand.

"They only invited a few people you know," Yugi tried appeasing. "Everyone else had to enter on their own."

"But I'm Joey Wheeler! Finalist for the two greatest tournaments of all time! Don't I get any respect?"

"No," Tristan said rather frankly. "You have to be a winner to get respect."

"Why I oughta…"

"Guys!" Yugi cut in. "We came here to swim, not get thrown out." Joey growled as Tristan laughed at the joke.

"If we weren't here I'd…" There was a unanimous jump as the whistles blew, signaling shift changes. Everyone glanced up at the guard tower, and then any tension that had been building melted as the friends laughed their heads off. "Aw, I'll get in the next tournament."

…X…X…

"Did you have a fun time with your friends?" Solomon pried, the brown box still firm in his hands.

"Yes grandpa," Yugi replied as he chowed down on his dinner. It had been set out and waiting for him, and his stomach had been roaring like a lion when he'd returned from the pool. In a matter of minutes the food was gone from the table.

"Here's your package!" his grandfather cheered. It was shoved into Yugi's arms like a child's Christmas present, practically bursting at the seams too, just from the sheer excitement his grandfather had put behind it.

"Alright, alright." Yugi dug into the box, pulling out the Egyptian wrapping paper and slowly peeling it away. "It's…a candleholder?" He held it up, blinking at the shining gold.

"Let me have a look." As the old man's finger ran gently over the object's features, Yugi reached into the box, picking up a single sheet of paper. His eyes quickly glanced over it, only furthering the confusion.

"It says this is supposed to be a birthday present, but my birthday isn't until June…"

"The inscription on this says 'may your future be as bright as the flame.' I wonder…"

"Hey! Check this out!" Yugi held the paper up to his grandfather. "It says here that Atem left instructions with his tomb-keepers to keep it until the time when a boy with a strange name reached his nineteenth year! It's a birthday present from Atem!"

"Well, well, well. I can't say there's anyone else in the world that's favored by a royal court that is five thousand years gone." The two laughed, setting the candleholder in the center of the table. "Though I must say it's one of the strangest presents he could have sent you…" Yugi's eyes trailed over the golden surface.

"Hey, wait! There's two inscriptions!"

"The other is illegible. At least for me. I promise I'll work on getting it translated for you, though."

"Thanks grandpa. Oh! I have to tell Anzu!" The paper dropped back into the box as the young man sprung for the phone, snatching it up and dialing the eternally familiar number. The old man looked over the candleholder a few dozen more times, and as he listened to his grandson chattering in the background, he couldn't help but wonder, 'Why a candleholder? Of all the things a Pharaoh could have left for a friend he'd spent three years sharing a body with, what in the world made him choose something like this?'

_"But Yugi, your birthday isn't until…"_

"I know. They must have sent it early in case it got lost in the mail or something."

_"Still, they have ten months. Oh well. Have you told Joey or Tristan yet?"_

"No, I was going to call them next."

_"Well, I'd better let you go so you can do that. Goodnight Yugi. Oh, and hey…Happy birthday anyway."_

"Thanks. Goodnight Anzu."

…X…X…

After all the locks had been set, all the lights had been turned off, and both of the residents in the home built around the Kame Game Shop had turned in for the night, one mind would not settle down. In a small room that could not be reached by any natural means on Earth, he sat, staring at the blank wall where a door had once resided, and a good friend had once dared to open. "Thank you."


	3. What more could anyone want?

I would like to mention right now that I haven't decided on the final pairings yet. I have one completely set, but I won't give them away. For everyone else, it's up for grabs. Anyway, please enjoy chapter two! (And sorry it took so long to upload it, and I double apologize for the future. I'm a college student so the new chapters will sometimes be far between or one right after the next...it all depends on what's going on.)

* * *

_**5000 Years**_

**Chapter Two – What More Could Anyone Want?**

"C'mon guys!" Joey was shouting. "We're gonna miss it!" He nearly threw their popcorn across the room as he flung his hands around to get their attention.

"Settle down Joey!" Tristan complained, taking the popcorn from the blond. "Sorry…" he mumbled as he worked his way through the people and they reached their front-row seats.

"Mai's sure going to be surprised," Anzu laughed as she settled in beside them. "Hey Yugi…Yugi?" The three glanced to their right, not seeing their spiky-haired friend.

"He's short, but not _that_ short," Joey mumbled, standing up on his seat and surveying the area.

"He's over there!" Tristan pointed, pulling Joey down from his perch so he could see. "It looks like he got invited into the honorary box of the all-mighty." Joey made a face at the company Yugi was in. To the left was an all-too-familiar creator of the game, Maxamillion Pegasus. He was sitting like a king, laughing at some joke that no one else understood.

But what was worse was sitting at his right. Kaiba, possibly the most obnoxious man that blond had ever had the unfortunate coincidence of meeting, not to mention being forced to spend over half of his high school life around due to their dueling.

"Do you think he's going to stay over there?"

"Well, he's sitting down, ain't he?" Joey grumbled. "He could've at least given us some warnin…"

"Maybe they kidnapped him," Anzu pointed out. "Not those two of course, but whoever's running this tournament. Having the top two duelists in the world _and_ the duel monsters' creator all sitting right there is probably going to give this guy more attention than this whole tournament did."

"Showing our buddy off like he's some sort of trophy…I shoulda been invited…And besides, they didn't even have the decency to _invite_ him, but since he's here anyway he's welcome to the box with open arms…"

"Calm down Joey," Tristan interrupted. "It's about to start!" On cue, the lights dimmed and the money-bags that hosted this particular circus show stepped into the center of the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you your finalists! Our first contender is a duelist who's stolen the hearts of young men everywhere. She's feisty, she's determined, and last I heard, she's single." That got a good chuckle out of most of the crowd, except for a certain high school senior, who glared around the room and grumbled about rude jokes. "I present, Mai Valentine!"

Their friend walked in and took her place with more regal than any royal could have. Flashing her well-practiced smile around, until her eyes caught sight of the royal box. Her face lit up with excitement as she chanced winking at Yugi, who instantly pointed her to the other side of the room. The trio made sure to cheer extra loudly as soon as she caught their eyes.

"And in the other corner, a new face in this neck of the woods, but certainly no stranger to the limelight, Aubrey Kappel!" Upon hearing those two words, Anzu nearly jumped out of the stands and high-tailed it over there for an autograph.

"What's with her?" Joey whispered to Tristan.

"Don't you remember? That's that dancer person that Anzu was so worked up about two weeks ago."

"Oh right! Wait…what's she doing in a duel monsters tournament?"

"Apparently she plays duel monsters too."

"Sheesh. Who doesn't these days?"

"And now! Let the championship duel begin!" resonated into the deepest cracks in the room, filling up all the space with cheers.

The decks were shuffled and the hands were dealt, and each girl stood firmly on their platforms, raised high so the world could see their monsters and their magic tearing into each other's life points. It put Yugi's mind at ease knowing that this was all that was. There was no greater depth, no secret death match or the fate of the whole world riding on the luck of the draw. It was a simple, friendly duel.

"I guess I'm going first," Aubrey chirped, drawing a card and giving it a good once-over. "I'm placing four cards face down and ending my turn." Her move produced gasps from the audience, but Mai took it in her usual stride.

"If that's how you want it! I'm going to start things off by summoning my Harpy Lady in attack mode." In a glittery show, the fierce winged woman flew up to rest beside her master. Two cards appeared under her feet, waiting to be triggered, and Mai threw her hand out and declared, "Attack her life points!"

"Sorry, but no." One of the four cards flipped up, deflecting the attack. In turn, Mai activated a trap of her own, completely cancelling out the first attack of the game. "My turn."

…X…X…

An hour and a half later, over half the room slumped back in their chairs, bored with the stalemate that had gone on for so long. Only a few stayed attentive, two of those being the honored guests, playing the volleyball game inside their own heads. Kaiba had checked out before the game had even begun, but he put on a pretty show for the cameras. Pegasus, on Yugi's other side, hadn't moved a muscle the entire game, other than his eyes, which followed the strung-out match.

Yugi's mind was running in overtime. It was an eternal game of give and take, one moment they were stringing each other along, the next they were putting each other on the edge of possible defeat.

"I may be a new name, but I'm far from new to the game, Mai," Aubrey announced.

"I can see that," Mai replied. "I've rarely fought a duel like this. It's an honor."

"Thank you, now, I play Jar of Greed!" She pulled her two cards, glancing over them a bit lazily. Yugi nearly fell out of his seat with curiosity. "I place two cards face down, and now, I sacrifice my Goddess of Whim to summon Helpoemer in attack mode. He isn't much to look at, that's for certain, but he does pack a pretty punch. And he has more than enough attack points to take out your Harpie's Brother!"

"Not a chance! I activate Follow Wind, giving Harpie's Brother and additional 300 attack points. Sorry sugar. Your little zombie is done for." A light smile played on the girl's lips as her monster was shredded.

"Well, that was rather helpful of you. Now, after every one of your battle phases, you'll lose a card randomly from your hand."

"Don't you ever take on a fight face-to-face?" Mai let out a deep sigh. So far she'd summed up Aubrey's tactics as one thing: Indirect. She was a pro with effects, magic and traps being her shining star.

"Sure I do. When I need to. Anyway, my turn's over now." There was a light groan heard throughout the room. That was to be expected when the room was mostly packed with people that were paid to attend in a sorry attempt for some man to boost his fame.

Yugi glanced across the room at his friends. Joey had an angry look on his face, and it was apparent that Tristan had said the very thing that caused his unhappiness. Anzu, on the other hand, didn't look as if she could care less about her company. Her eyes were trained on her idol, cheering on both sides of the duel.

But then Yugi's eyes caught sight of something he hadn't expected. There was a girl standing just beyond the seating wall, standing right inside the arena. Her black hair was tied up in the same curly up-do as Aubrey's. Actually, if he squinted, it looked almost like she was wearing the same outfit as well, though he couldn't tell from the dark corner she was in.

All of a sudden there was an eruption of applause. Yugi's eyes glanced up to see that Mai had once again turned the tables in her favor, _and_ it looked like the duel was coming to an end. Aubrey's life points had finally hit rock bottom, 150. Of course, Yugi also saw the little smirk on the dancer's face as she drew her next card.

But then, with a brief glance around the room, she merely placed the Watapon she'd drawn in defense mode and ended her turn. Yugi squinted some, then shook it off. Still, for a brief moment he almost believed that he had seen a second girl up there on the platform. However, when he glanced back to where he'd seen the look-alike, there was no one there.

"It looks like your luck is finally running out sugar! Harpie Queen, finish off her life points!" Harpie's Brother had already made quick work of her defense, so with a glowing flash, the winner was decided. The platforms were lowered, the disks were put away, and Pegasus stood up with such flair that Yugi ducked to avoid getting whacked.

"Congratulations Mai! Your skills have certainly improved from _my_ tournament." seeped from his mouth at the same time that Yugi heard the trademark Kaiba grunt of agreement.

"Thanks, I think." Kaiba handed the pretty little check over before making his typical gloomy exit, after a bit of to-do with the photographers. Great for Kaiba Corp. image, terrible for Kaiba's mood.

"He's always going to be a spoil sport, isn't he?" Pegasus complained before putting on a shining smile and handing the golden trophy over to its new owner, waving to the public like the old pro he was. "Oh, Yugi-boy, why don't you come over here and join us? The paparazzi will just eat it up!"

"Sure…" Yugi worked his way down the stairs, instantly being grabbed by Pegasus's free arm and pulled into the picture. The Pharaoh was always the one handling things when the cameras were rolling, so Yugi tried his best not to give away his greatest secret. He could only imagine what the world would do if they found out Atem had been the one trouncing them while the face they adored now just took backseat.

"You will get back on the duel monsters scene soon, right?" one of the reporters demanded of him. "It's been over a year since your last tournament duel!"

"Please, everyone!" Pegasus scolded. "We're here to congratulate Mai, not bother a _college student_." Yugi was grateful for one thing at least: Pegasus was on his side now. An odd friend, but a friend nonetheless.

"Look at 'em over there…shoulda been me…" Joey whined.

"Would you give it a rest already? We _get_ it," Anzu sighed. "Did anyone see where Aubrey went?"

"Uh, no, does it matter?"

"Yes!" In a flash, their friend was gone, off idol hunting.

"Don't forget, Joey," Tristan stated. "It's her dream to be a dancer. Meeting someone like Aubrey face-to-face would be like…like any of those wanna-be duelists that are fans of Yugi's. Just _meeting_ someone so established in a field can inspire people."

"You're right," Joey sighed, glancing over to the trio as they fended off all of the cameras. "But Mai just won her first tournament since she got back. Couldn't Anzu at _least _stick around to congratulate her?"

"She'll be back. It's not like famous people don't disappear quickly. Look at Kaiba. He was here. He did his part. Now he's gone. I bet Aubrey did the same thing."

"True enough…It looks like the crowds are thinning. Let's get over there!" The blond didn't even bother to head for the stairs. He just hopped right over the railing and took off running. "Mai!"

"Hey Joey!" she responded, putting up her hand to accept his high-five.

"Well, my part here is done so if no one minds, I'll be taking my leave," Pegasus announced to no one in particular, taking half of the camera crew with him as he marched out.

"That trophy of yours is lookin' pretty snazzy!" Joey cheered. "So how much did you win?" Mai turned her check around and laughed as Joey's eyes bugged out. "$100,000?"

"What're you so shocked about? A few years ago you were one move away from three million, and thanks to your awesome friend here, you got that prize anyway."

"Yup, and every penny of it went to Serenity. Mom put what was left of it in the bank for Serenity's future, I made sure of that. But man…$100,000…I'd be riding through college for free with that."

"You're doing fine Joey," Yugi complimented. "Winning that tournament last summer really helped you out."

"Yeah, but that thing was small fries compared to this…"

"He-ey!" Tristan announced as he jogged up. "Congrats!"

"Thanks," Mai said with her brightest smile. "So, uhm…where's Anzu?"

"She ran off to see if she could find that Aubrey girl. She's a fan."

"What does Aubrey do for a living anyway? I've never heard her name in the duel monsters ring but he said she was already used to the publicity."

"She's a professional dancer!" Joey announced, proud that his memory hadn't failed him.

"Ohhhh…Maybe we should go find her before she gets lost. This building is a maze. One wrong turn and she might never see the sun again."

"It's that bad?" Yugi asked with worry.

"Oh yeah. I had to stop for directions just to get to this arena."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Tristan declared. "Let's find Anzu!"

…X…X…

"I'm so sick of hiding in the shadows…" Anzu heard echo off the walls. _'Don't I know that voice?' _ran through her head. "I know, I know! But hey, something good did come from this. I think I found him…Yeah. _Him._" She dared to step around the corner, seeing a brief flick of black hair in the moonlight that streamed through a nearby window as the girl disappeared.

"Wait! Aubrey? Is that you?" She took a few steps down the dark hall, freezing and backing up. Through her years of being friends with Yugi and the Pharaoh, she'd learned to never trust the darkness. There were strange things out there, and real monsters. One could never tell for sure if they were friend or foe. With a deep sigh, she turned around and marched herself back down the hallway, aiming for the nearest lighted area.

The silence was stifling, holding her in a cold embrace. She didn't like the silence anymore. It reminded her far too much of those haunted streets when Dartz had tried to stifle all the light and joy in the world. So long as she didn't see any glowing green circles she wasn't going to let her heart beat right out of her chest.

"Anzu!" she heard echoing off the walls. "Anzu, where are you?"

"Over here Yugi!" she shouted, sprinting in the direction of his voice.

"We've been looking all over for you." She sighed and leaned up against the wall beside him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to just disappear like that."

"Yugi found her!" Joey shouted from down the hall, getting a loud yelp from the girl at the surprise.

"Joey! Don't scare me like that!"

"Scare you? We thought you were lost!"

"Hey, calm down!" Yugi demanded. "We found her, she's not lost, that's what matters. Right?"

"Right." Anzu watched as Tristan and Mai sprinted around the corner.

"Hey Mai! Congrats on winning," she chirped.

"Thanks kid."

"Oh! I almost forgot, we were going to have a late-night snack and rewind at Yugi's place if you want to come. His grandpa taped the whole thing, and we figured you might want to watch the duel from an outside view."

"That's very sweet of you guys, and I accept." Her stomach growled, giving away her covert reason for joining them. With a roll of laughter, they guided her back to the game shop.

…X…X…

_"Now, I play Terraforming to take my Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen from my deck and add it to my hand. Then, since it's still my turn, I will play Valhalla and activate it's ability that allows me to summon one fairy monster as long as I have no monster on the field. And I choose my Splendid Venus. Then, just to finish off this little number, I play the trap card Royal Decree. Which means no traps can be played until this card is destroyed, but because of my Splendid Venus's special ability, that doesn't apply to me."_

"She's brutal," Tirstan declared, watching the match more closely as everyone else downed their late dinners.

"Don't I know it," Mai replied. "Did you see that smirk on her face at the end? She _let_ me win."

"Hey! There's Yugi!" Joey laughed as the camera screened over the royal box.

"Is Kaiba sleeping?" Anzu questioned.

"No, he just wasn't paying much attention," Yugi sighed.

"Hey-hey! Here's one of my favorite parts of the duel!" Joey declared. They leaned in close to watch as Mai pulled a pair of spell cards and a slick maneuver with her Harpies to blow away Royal Decree, then to send Venus straight to the graveyard.

"It was harder when she brought that goddess back though," Mia sighed. "But the worst part? All those _life points._ Practically every other card she played gave her more of them. What did it get up to…8,000?"

"The other part of her strategy was to get out a high level, then build that monster up," Yugi added.

"Not necessarily. She practically turned Maha Vailo into a god card don't forget."

"That is true…"

"Nothin-for-nothin though Mai," Joey interrupted. "It's great to see you dueling in these parts again." He offered her the chips bag, and she took one with a smile.

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, Joey."

"Me?" There was the faintest tint of red to the tops of his cheeks, though that could possibly be attributed to his over-excitement over the whole evening.

"Yeah. That tournament last spring is the only reason I had the courage to come back at all…" She had a distant look in her eyes, remembering how Yugi had told her about chasing after Joey as he hopped on the fastest westbound train to get to a tournament that the grapevine had told him she'd be in.

"Nah. Your lifestyle would have brought you back in town sooner or later, I'm sure of it."

"Whatever you say Joey." That tournament had been his first crown, probably because Yugi hadn't entered it. Mai remembered stepping up to the arena for the finals, readying her dueling disk, and freezing completely in her place when he stepped out as her competitor.

_"Let's do this Mai."_ For some reason, she could still feel her cheeks light up whenever she remembered him standing there in that light, that cocky smile on his face as the referee stepped back and announced…no, demanded that the duel begin. _"I'm not going easy on you just because you're my friend."_

"Earth to Mai?" Anzu called.

"Huh? Oh, sorry," she laughed. "I was just thinking."

"We could see that."

"Here's the big finale!" Joey nearly jumped out of his seat, cheering for Mai all over again, even though he already knew the ending all too well.

Yugi, however, had his eyes trained on Aubrey the whole time. That girl he'd thought he'd seen…she wasn't there on the camera. He felt a chill run up his spine, through his heart. He'd seen her…but maybe he'd just imagined things. Sheer will for the adventure he hadn't seen since Atem left, probably.

_"It looks like your luck is finally running out sugar! Harpie Queen, finish off her life points!" _

The flashing lights turned the screen near completely white, and the camera flashed over the audience, getting a whoop out of Joey as he saw his face lit up. Then the camera traded over to Yugi, and provoked laughter from the group and a blush from their smallest friend. He hadn't realized his mouth had been hanging open as he watched the scene.

_"Congratulations Mai! Your skills have certainly improved from my tournament." _

"That's our Mai!" Joey cheered.

"Would you settle down?" Grandpa demanded from the doorway. Everyone jumped and glanced over at him apologetically. "Some people are trying to sleep in this town."

"Sorry gramps," Yugi apologized, and was quickly echoed by everyone else present.

"It's alright. I did the same thing." Mai felt a smile take over her face as the old man came over and held out his hand. "Congratulations. It's an honor to finally meet you in person. Yugi told me so many stories from Duelist Kingdom and Battle City and I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever meet any of these new friends of his!"

"Please, the honor is all mine Mr. Mouto."

"Hey, do you mind if we check out those new cards of yours?" Joey butted in.

"What, so you can try to start planning how to beat me next?"

"No, I just wanted to look closer at them. I haven't seen some of them before."

"Sure, whatever." Joey went through her cards like kids with candy. Yugi even leaned over in his curiosity to take a gander. "No more amazons?"

"Not this time."

"Birdface, Harpie Queen, Harpie's Pet…_Baby_ Dragon?" That one interested Joey. He picked it up, looking it over. "You didn't play this one in the duel."

"I didn't draw it," Mai laughed. "But it's the perfect new addition to the family. As long as I have at least two Harpie Ladies on the field, it has 2400 attack points. And if I have three Harpies at her side, I can destroy any card in play on my opponents side of the field. Not bad for a baby, huh?"

"And I suppose if I used my Time Wizard on it, it'd grow into the grown up?"

"Maybe."

"It looks like you're the one that's been preparing for me."

"That's a possibility."

"It sounds like this dragon would have made the duel tonight a lot easier," Yugi said as he examined the card himself.

"She certainly would have, if I'd drawn her. But I didn't, so…" Mai shrugged it off. "Here's my two new magic cards. United we Stand and Triangle Ecstasy Spark."

"That's the one I haven't heard of before," Joey said, taking the card from her hand and reading it over. "Attack boost, all opponents traps get negated? This is a good one."

"You bet it is. So, Joey, when're you going to enter a tournament again? I do believe I have a crown to take back from you."

"When's the next one?"

"Next summer," all three of his friends snapped at him.

"Right. School first." He smiled at Mai as he scratched at the back of his neck. "Gimme a call next summer and I promise we'll enter a tournament. Then you can _try_ to take my crown."

"Sounds fair enough," Mai joked. "I get a year to perfect my strategies, and you get a year to grow your first brain cells."

"Hey!"

"Oh, come on Joey, you know she's telling the truth," Tristan joined in.

"Why I oughta…"

"Yugi," Solomon whispered to his grandson. "Try not to stay up too late, ok?"

"Ok grandpa," he responded. "'Night."


End file.
